Bridgeport
There is little difficult in getting the right answer to some questions. If some excited person asks you with some heat, "Do you believe in the American way of life?" The answer is easy, "Of course I believe in the American Way of Life."
In a period when atheism seems to be more the sure indication of sinister activities, rather than a philosophical argument, the right answer to the query, "Do you believe in God?" is, of course, "Yes I believe in God."
When school taxes are high, and tempers are higher, we all know that it is best to advance a comforting "no" when an angry man asks, "Do you believe we need all these expensive frills in the school system?"
Has there not been an occasion when a finger has been pointed at you, accompanied by the rhetorical question, "Don't you believe the labor unions are getting too fresh?" You know that you are called upon either to look sympathetic or grunt acquiescence.
In a year such as this one, where we Americans are caught up in the excitement of Presidential nominations and elections, there is presented an excellent opportunity to observe dialogue similar to the foregoing.
All candidates are going to avow their undying support of motherhood and their unrelenting opposition to sin. The depth of emotion exhibited by the nominees as they speak of the American Boy or the hard-pressed farmer will be matched only by non-committal vagueness which envelops the course of action recommended. As a matter of fact, I for one, do not need he assurances of President Eisenhower, and the democratic nominees, whoever he may turn out to be, about brotherhood and the equal rights of all Americans. I am pretty well convinced by now that most all our national leaders will make eloquent appeals for brotherhood and gradualism and will condemn sin and revolution. What I do hope the nominees will make clear is that they believe the responsibility of the executive department of the government is in supporting the decisions of the judicial branch of the government, the Supreme Court. Are we a federal republic or a confederacy?
This example from our political life is by way of illustrating that the wrong questions may bring the right answers, but with no accompanying clarification of issues and no growth in understanding.
Margaret Isherwood in a rather distinguished little book on religion, The Heart of the Matter, remarks (p. 41) "In place of, 'do you believe?', a more apt criterion of salvation in the future will be: 'Are you trying to learn and deepen your understanding? Are you responding with a positive attitude toward the challenge of life? Are you faithfully and continuously going forward toward such glimmerings of Light as you are capable of seeing? Are you living so that here and now, in this particular phase of your being, you can begin to comprehend the meaning of eternal life?'"
Many of the questions to which we can give the easy, "right" answers, are the wrong questions because there is no real decision involved.
Most of us would readily answer, "yes" to the questions about God and the American Way of Life. But the questions are wrong. When a person is deeply concerned about whether you or I "believe in God," the question should not be one requiring a simple, unthinking affirmation, but rather, the questions should be, "What kind of God do you believe in? How does this God make himself known to persons; and how does he demonstrate his power and love in the world we experience as human beings?"
Who would be silly enough to say that he disbelieved in the American Way of Life? But, what is the American Way of Life? As it appears in the Green Mountains of Vermont? In the teeming cosmopolitanism of Chicago? The rocky shores of [the] New England of Puritan and liberal tradition? Last week, a 79 year old Negro minister was killed in Mississippi by a group of drunken white men. The drunks were careening down the road in an automobile and one of them threw a large stone at this elderly clergyman, killing him. The white sheriff, after investigating the affair, remarked (to the world) that the drunks, "were just pranking." Is that the American Way of Life? In New York City, in some areas of tension, many teachers live amidst a reign of terror, as juveniles, seemingly
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... concerned with ethics. He wrote many passages which indicated a strong interest and conviction in manners, morals, and right action. Yet his emphasis was theological. You must believe in Christ who is the New Adam who supersedes the old law.
James, seems more thoroughly Jewish than many others of the New Testament, particularly because of his emphasis on the practical and non-speculative. James asks the followers of Jesus, "What does it mean to have faith?" James sharply challenges the right, but easy answer to the wrong question. He says, "Thou believest that God is one, the demons also believe." James says several times in the 2nd chapter, "faith without works is dead." James tries to be specific (Moffatt trans):"Suppose some brother or sister is ill-clad and short of daily food, if any of you tells them, 'Depart in peace, get warm, get food, without supplying their bodily needs, what use is that? So faith, unless it has deeds, in itself is dead."
If James were living today, he would reprove us constantly: preacher and parishioners; republicans and democrats; one worlders and two worlders. If we may judge from his letter to his fellow religionists, he would say to us, "Let's not stop with glittering generalities. Let's get beneath the shiny veneer. Let's see if there is anything we can do."
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... is breaking through the iron censorship curtain of the communist dictatorship.
Does it not them come as somewhat of a mild shock when the charge is made seriously that our Federal State and local governments are interfering with freedom of the press? This is neither a propaganda blast of the Daily Worker, nor the irresponsible attack of an eccentric. On the bulletin board you will find posted the NY Times story quoting Richard Slocum, President of the American Newspaper Association, and Vice President of the Philadelphia Bulletin, charg[ing] that officials were withholding information the public was entitled to have.
(Incidentally, there is nothing more relevant to the maintenance of the free church, than freedom of communication.)
Is it not true that Socrates acquired his just reputation for wisdom by his ability to ask relevant questions?
Secondly, it is not enough to signify, "I believe." There is the need to respond positively to life. There is a universal quality in the human venture in that everyone of us, sooner or later, usually sooner, will be confronted with situations involving tragedy, extreme frustration and defeat. The manner in which we meet extreme difficulty involves belief, of course. But the belief must be accompanied by some sort of action. "Faith without works is dead."
Anne Magnani, the fiery Italian actress, recently honored by the "Oscar" for the best acting performance, is dedicated to her profession. It is said that one of her strong motivations is to ensure that her teenage son, crippled by polio, will be assured of financial security and permanent care. She remarked recently, "You ask me if art is important? I say yes. More than anything in life, except I'd give it all up if my son could have his legs to walk again."
I know little about this famous actress except that she has encountered the bitterness of unhappy marriage, and the tragedy of the crippling illness that befell her son. However she may phrase her beliefs about life, she ... positively, courageously.
It seems to me also that we will be going forward to "such light as we are capable of" by deeper probing of the easily accepted generalizations.
Ralph Waldo Emerson, remarked with his facility for the striking phrase, "goodness must have an edge to it." Among my own character failings is a tendency at times to hesitate to pursue with complete persistence, some of the actions and positions demanded by my ethical convictions. This failing is because of a reluctance to offend people who might disagree with me. Like many of you, I do not enjoy the prospect of turning friendship into hostility. There are many times when Ralph Waldo Emerson's words apply to me -- my goodness does not have enough edge to it. Margaret Wilkinson in a poem conveys something of this same feeling:
"I never cut my neighbor's throat,
My neighbors gold I never stole,
I never spoiled his house and land,
But God have mercy on my soul.
For I am haunted night and day,
By all the deeds I have not done;
O unattempted loveliness,
O costly victories never won."
Let me testify in conclusion, that neither this matter of inquiry, of questioning, of analysis, is the suppressed meaning of the New Testament. I use the word "suppressed" because so much of the preaching and teaching of the Christian centers on the necessity of "belief."
Yet if you read the gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke, you will note that the great word is not the word "believe," but rather, "Kingdom." How does the Kingdom come? There are different points of view expressed, but the main ones seem to be repentance, search, growth. "Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand." The kingdom comes by searching -- the widow searching for the lost coin. The kingdom comes by growth -- the mustard seed which becomes the large tree. The kingdom comes by patience, -- not all the seed falls on fertile ground. The kingdom comes by persistence - the woman crying at midnight.
This gospel of John, different in so many respects, does not advance the doctrine of belief, alone. When one reads John, the great word that leaps out through the symbolic language and lovely legends is "life." Life more abundant, -- a happy wedding at Cana, a Samaritan woman who finds in life the universality and moral character of God; a call-girl of that ancient time finds redemption and purpose -- new life. The transformations happened because of inquiry, action, commitment.
It strikes me again and again that Jesus taught something like Socrates, -- not by giving answers to what frequently were wrong questions, - but rather by the device we need today -- in religion, politics and education, -- the asking of the right questions so that we will think, inquire, acquire convictions, and act.
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